Basic Scientific Research Opportunities | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Basic Scientific Research Opportunities (CRANBAA11 0002)

1) What is the title of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is titled "Basic Scientific Research Opportunities".

2) What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is CRANBAA11 0002.

3) Which organization released and administered this solicitation?

The solicitation was released and administered by NSWC Crane (Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division).

4) What program is this opportunity associated with (CFDA)?

This opportunity falls under the Basic and Applied Scientific Research CFDA program, listed as CFDA 12.300.

5) What kind of funding instrument was used?

This was a discretionary, grant-based solicitation.

6) What was the overall purpose or focus of the solicitation?

The solicitation focused on supporting early-stage, foundational (basic) scientific research in science and technology areas with clear relevance to defense and advanced electronics. The emphasis was on research that remained primarily in the basic research space rather than product development.

7) Was this opportunity aimed at product development?

No. Based on the description provided, the opportunity emphasized basic research and foundational investigations rather than product development efforts.

8) When was the announcement posted?

The announcement was posted on June 23, 2011.

9) What was the application deadline?

The application deadline was July 27, 2011.

10) Is this opportunity still active?

No. The announcement was archived on August 26, 2011.

11) How many awards were anticipated?

The solicitation anticipated making about 8 awards.

12) What was the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding pool was $160,000.

13) What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

Individual awards were capped at $20,000.

14) Was there a minimum award amount (award floor)?

No minimum award amount was stated. The award floor was listed as $0.

15) Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The solicitation stated that no cost sharing or matching funds were required.

16) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants included:

• For-profit entities (including those other than small businesses)
• Small businesses
• Private institutions of higher education
• Public/state-controlled institutions of higher education

17) Was eligibility limited only to small businesses?

No. Eligibility included small businesses but also for-profit entities (including those other than small businesses) and both private and public/state-controlled institutions of higher education.

18) What technical topic areas were included in the scope?

The solicitation listed a set of specific basic research topic areas, including:

1. Radiation effects in spintronic structures (understanding how radiation environments may influence spin-based electronic materials and devices)
2. Hot-carrier-induced hardware degradation and implications for integrated circuit reliability (physics-of-failure mechanisms impacting long-term performance and trustworthiness of microelectronics)
3. Ambient sampling for materials analysis of electronic components by mass spectrometry (characterization methods with minimal sample preparation)
4. Perception for stereotype learning in human-robot interaction (foundational work on robot perception, modeling, and adaptation to human behavioral patterns in interactive settings)
5. Wireless networked sensor system attack and exploitation vulnerabilities (basic analysis of security weaknesses and adversary methods affecting distributed sensing networks)
6. Modeling and analysis of high-energy ultrashort laser interactions with condensed matter (fundamental physics of intense, ultrashort laser pulse interactions with solid/dense materials)
7. Transmission velocity estimation using channel polarization state (signal processing/communications research using polarization information to estimate propagation or transmission characteristics)

19) Did the solicitation use one broad theme or multiple defined research topics?

It used multiple defined basic research topic areas rather than a single overall theme.

20) What kinds of research areas did this solicitation prioritize overall?

Based on the listed topics and summary, the solicitation prioritized narrowly defined basic research investigations across areas such as:

• Microelectronics (reliability, degradation mechanisms, and advanced electronic materials)
• Advanced materials measurement and characterization (including mass spectrometry approaches)
• Robotics perception in human-robot interaction contexts
• Wireless and distributed sensing security
• Laser-matter interaction physics (ultrashort, high-energy regimes)
• Communications and signal analysis involving polarization-based estimation

21) Who was the listed point of contact for questions or access issues?

The listed point of contact was Dallas Parsley, Contract Specialist.

22) How could applicants contact the point of contact?

Dallas Parsley could be reached by phone at 812-854-2239.

23) What type of questions was the point of contact intended to handle?

The point of contact was listed for access issues and general questions related to the opportunity.

24) What does the small award size suggest about the intent of the program?

With an anticipated total of about 8 awards and a $20,000 per-award ceiling, the solicitation reads as a small-dollar, multiple-award basic research call intended to seed early investigations in high-interest technical areas rather than fund large-scale development programs.

25) What does the lack of cost sharing imply for applicants?

The fact that no cost sharing or matching was required suggests the sponsor aimed to reduce barriers to entry and encourage participation across a broad research community, including smaller or more exploratory basic research efforts.